Just Give Me A Reason
by MacSas
Summary: Based on the song by Pink: Rossi and Penelope have been together for a few months but Rossi feels that Penelope my be second guessing his commitment to her. I have made the lyrics a prologue so those that don't know the song can "follow along" (are there really any peeps out there that haven't heard this song though :) )
1. Prologue

_**NOTE: Hi. This idea came to me while I was at work listening to this song by Pink on the radio. As the song was playing an image of Rossi and Penelope came into my head and the story was born. This is the first time I have written a story based solely on a song so I hope you like it :) **_

* * *

**Just Give Me a Reason**

_Prologue_:

Right from the start  
You were a thief you stole my heart  
And I your willing victim  
I let you see the parts of me  
That weren't all that pretty  
And with every touch you fixed them  
Now you've been talking in your sleep  
Things you never say to me  
Tell me that you've had enough  
Of our love, our love

Just give me a reason  
Just a little bit's enough  
Just a second we're not broken just bent  
And we can learn to love again  
It's in the stars  
It's been written in the scars on our hearts  
We're not broken just bent  
And we can learn to love again

Im sorry I don't understand where all of this is coming from  
I thought that we were fine  
Oh we had everything  
Your head is running wild again  
My dear we still have everything  
And its all in your mind  
Yeah but this is happening  
You've been having real bad dreams  
Oh oh  
You used to lie so close to me  
Oh oh  
There's nothing more than empty sheets  
Between our love, our love, oh our love, our love

Oh tears ducts and rust  
I'll fix it for us  
We're collecting dust but our love's enough  
You're holding it in  
You're pouring a drink  
No nothing is as bad as it seems  
We'll come clean

Just give me a reason  
Just a little bit's enough  
Just a second we're not broken just bent  
And we can learn to love again  
I never stopped  
You're still written in the scars on my heart  
Your not broken just bent and we can learn to love again

* * *

_**NOTE: If you have an idea for a pairing and a song for them (and if I can find the lyrics to the song) let me know - I'd love to try this again. Thanks!**_


	2. Chapter 1

Rossi knew there was something on Penelope's mind.

She had been rather cool to him nearly all week and that was unusual for a woman who professed to be in love for the first real time in her life. Rossi had finally taken it upon himself to move their long-time friendship to the next level by leaving a surprise for her in her office. A scattering of rose petals and a note inviting her to dinner was his way of getting her attention – rather than asking her outright for a date he opted to woo her. The job of doing so was hard because she tended to believe the playboy reputation he had come to the BAU with. Sure, she had known him long enough to know it wasn' t true of him now, but he still had to convince her he was serious when it came to his feelings for her. His friendship with her had changed him, for the better. So during that first "real date" dinner he had told her how he felt and presented her with a pearl heart shaped ring to signify his commitment. It was just a month later that Rossi had overheard Penelope telling Emily that she was in love for the first time ever. That whatever had gone wrong in all her prior relationships had been "fixed" by Rossi and his gentle strength.

He had been in love with her from the moment he saw her, but it hadn't taken long for him to realise that despite her outward strength and attitude, she had endured the worst that a man could lay on a woman and it had left her cynical of love and wary of men. Just when Rossi might have thought he was winning her over sure but slow, she had been attacked by a guy who thought she had been onto his Angel of Mercy deal. Rossi had sat by her side day and night and willed her to recover. The aftermath had proven to be hard. He had watched her withdraw to the point of almost being afraid of men – especially those that happened to be large, carried a gun, and could cause her harm. Sadly, that included him. While Penelope valued their friendship and openly talked to him about things she was enduring pot attack, Rossi knew that there was no way she would feel about him what he felt about her. He had to once again be patient and wait her demons out. And his patience had won out. She had accepted his invitation to dinner and accepted his ring. He was in heaven. He had thought that she was too. So what was going on with her?

He intended to find out.


	3. Chapter 2

"Thanks for cooking dinner Rossi" Penelope smiled at her partner, placing her hand on his back as she walked around him towards the lounge. "It was wonderful, as always"

Rossi nodded at her compliment and moved with her to the sofa. "We need to talk Kitten"

Penelope smiled at him sadly. "I know"

Rossi sat beside her on the couch and turned to face her. She looked pale and tired from the day's events. It had been the end of a long trying case and Penelope, as usual, had been the heart and soul of the team getting their man. Some of the things that his sweet girl had to wade through to get them their answers were often worse than the things that he and the other team members saw in the field. Less implied often meant more in the imagination. He hated to think of what her dreams were like at night. The fact that this was the only time they had to talk also weighed heavy on his mind. She was tired and stressed out. He was sure that trying to open her up and see what was going on in her head right now may end up putting a wedge between them that he could never close up. But this was something he had to do, not just for him but for her as well.

Taking a deep breath he reached out and took one of her hands in both of his.

"Kitten, is our relationship ok with you?"

Penelope frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I feel your pulling away from me. Considering we have only just started this journey, I'm concerned"

"Nothing is wrong Rossi. I don't know why you would think there is anything wrong"

Rossi sighed, tilting Penelope's chin up with his finger. "Now say that while looking me in the eye, Babe"

Penelope looked at him. "What do you want me to say?"

"Just the truth, Kitten. There has always been truth with us."

Penelope nodded and gave him a watery smile.

For a beat Rossi thought that she wouldn't say anything and then she started whispering to him.

"Right from the moment I met you, you stole my heart. Over time I let you see the parts of me that weren't all that pretty and rather than run you simply figured out how to fix them. You were the one that told me I wasn't broken, just a little bent and that I would learn to love again"

Rossi nodded, recalling the times that they had spent just talking about their pasts and their hopes for the future. He had revelled in the fact that Garcia had looked to him as her BFF (after Morgan of course) and felt so comfortable and safe with him that she could confide in him about anything.

"Then what is it that's playing on your mind?" he asked.

Penelope shook her head and got up to start pacing, something Rossi knew she did when she was extremely nervous, or frustrated. This was not a good sign, he thought to himself.

"Rossi, you have had some of the most beautiful and educated women on your arm and in your bed" Seeing him open his mouth to protest, she held a hand up. "Please, let me get through this"

After a reluctant nod from Rossi, Penelope continued.

"I know that you are absolutely committed to me and that you would never cheat on me or hurt me in any way. But I have this thing in my head that keeps reminding me that I am nowhere near your usual type of woman. And every now and then I wonder why you're with me? I have baggage that would scare most men away and yet you keep sticking with me"

"I will always be there for you, Kitten"

Penelope turned to face him, tears in her eyes. "But is it because you want to be or is it just out of a sense of some kind of duty?"

Rossi sighed and got to his feet. He slowly approached Garcia and held his hands out to her.

As she took his hands, he places a kiss on each of hers and then smiled at her.

"I have no idea where this is coming from, sweetheart. I thought we were doing just fine"

"We are Rossi" Penelope smiled. "It's just this stuff in my head that keeps getting in my way. I want to believe that everything will be ok because I have you and you always know what to do, but then my head runs wild again and reminds me of my past and how stupid I have been about other men"

Rossi pulled her close to him in a gentle hug and kissed the top of her head.

"Sweetheart, I have spent forever trying to convince you that this is for real"

"That's another thing that worries me, Rossi. You have been so patient and considerate, what happens when you get tired of waiting for me to get over my past and move on?"

"Hey" Rossi leaned back and looked at her. "That is not going to happen. Yes, I have waited a long time for you. But that only means that I will not let you go now that I have you. Waiting makes some things all the more sweeter you know?" he smiled, and then placed a light kiss on her lips.

After a moment of thinking he came to a thought that troubled him.

"Have you been having those dreams again?"

Knowing that he was referring to the dreams that had haunted her after the attack, she slowly nodded her head. Some of the dreams had been so intense that Rossi had insisted she call him when they happened. He would then go to her home and stay with her, enabling her to sleep with a safe feeling.

"Why didn't you tell me?"  
"You would have tried to fix it for me"

"Of course. That's what I do, especially for you, especially now. It's my job to protect you"

Well accustomed to his old ways cave man tendencies – which were part of the reason she loved him – Penelope simply smiled against his chest.

"My heart is just collecting dust"

"It doesn't help that you're holding stuff in" Rossi frowned.

"And that's why I've come clean. I knew that I would have to let you in or I would risk losing you."

She leaned back in his arms and kissed his cheek. "And that would suck because your name is already written right across the scars on my poor heart"

Rossi smiled down at her. "Kitten, I would never – could never – stop loving you. Nothing is as bad as it seems. You just have to remember to keep talking to me, keep sharing your troubles with me."

He grabbed her hand and walked her back over to the sofa. Snuggling her into his strong embrace he whispered, "I told you before and I will tell you again. You're not broken, just bent. And best of all, you've learned to love again"

She looked up at him, and as he kissed her she knew that despite the bumps along the way nothing would separate her from him and his love for her.

And she felt, finally, complete.

* * *

_**NOTE: **_**There it is. Hope you enjoyed it :)**


End file.
